Final answer:
A malignant tumor can exhibit rapid cell division, invade surrounding tissues, metastasize to other parts of the body, and have the capacity to evade the immune system.
Step-by-step explanation:
Four characteristics that a malignant tumor could have include:
- Rapid cell division which leads to an abnormal growth of cells resulting in a tumor.
- Invasion of surrounding tissues, where the tumor cells expand beyond their original location and damage neighboring tissues.
- Metastasis is when tumor cells break away and travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to establish new tumors in different parts of the body.
- The ability to evade the immune system, allowing cancer cells to proliferate without being recognized and destroyed by the body's natural defenses.
Malignant tumors, or cancerous neoplasms, are characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation due to DNA mutations and can cause significant harm to an individual's health if left untreated. They differ from benign tumors, which remain localized and do not typically harm health.